Effects Of Extreme Temperatures Research Articles

Response and Adaptation of Single-Cropping Rice Growth Periods to Sowing Date, Cultivar Shift and Extreme Temperatures in China from 1981 to 2010

Crop growth period responses to climate change directly affect yield and quality; these changes have been investigated, but few studies have researched the quantitative effects of the sowing date (SD), cultivar shift and extreme temperatures on the vegetative growth period (VGP) and reproductive growth period (RGP) of crops. Based on the observed growth periods and weather data from 30 agro-meteorological stations in Northeast China (NEC), the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River (MLYR), the Sichuan Basin (SB) and on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau (YGP) during 1981–2010, we found that (1) advancing the SD resulted in the extension of the VGP but had no significant effect on the RGP. (2) Cultivar shift mainly prolonged the RGP, and its mean contribution to the trend in the RGP (68.4%) was greater than that of climate change (31.6%). (3) Increases in growing degree days (GDD) tended to lengthen the VGP and RGP, and their mean relative contribution to the VGP (65.9%) was higher than that of the RGP (58.4%). (4) Increases in killing degree days (KDD) and decreases in cold degree days (CDD) tended to shorten the VGP and RGP, and the mean relative contribution of KDD to the VGP (− 18.8%) was lower than that of the RGP (− 29.8%), while the mean relative contribution of CDD to the VGP (− 15.2%) was higher than that of the RGP (− 10.9%). The findings highlight the adverse effects of KDD and CDD on the growth periods of single-cropping rice and show how a reasonable SD scientifically matched with suitable cultivar types can make full use of climate resources and mitigate the adverse effects of extreme temperatures.

Effects of heat exposure on occupational injuries in the agricultural sector in Italy

Background and aim – The health effects of extreme temperatures at population level are well known. However, the effects on occupational injuries in different sectors have been scarcely investigated. Methods - We collected work-related injuries in the agriculture sector occurring in the 8,090 Italian municipalities from the Italian national workers’ compensation authority (INAIL) between 2014-2018. Daily air temperatures from Copernicus ERA5-land were used to define exposure at municipality level. First, we applied distributed lag non-linear models (DLNM) to estimate the association between daily mean air temperature and injuries at regional level; then meta-analysed results to have overall estimates. The relative risk (RR) and attributable cases of agriculture-related injuries for an increase in mean temperature above the 75th percentile were estimated, as well as heatwave effects. Analysis were also stratified by age, duration of leave and professional qualification. Results - Analysis were conducted on 150,422 agricultural injuries. The overall relative risk of agricultural work-related injuries for an increase in temperatures was 1.13 (95%CI: 1.08; 1.18). The number of injuries attributable to heat is of 2050 cases in the considered period. A higher risk was observed among young workers (1.23 95% CI: 1.14; 1.34) and seasonal workers (1.25 95% CI: 1.03; 1.52). When considering duration of leave, a proxy of severity of heat-related injuries, the greatest risk and frequency was observed for short duration between 0-14 days (1.21 95% CI: 1.10; 1.33) with a decreasing trend. Considering extreme heat wave events, the risk of injuries in the agricultural sector was of 1.04 (95% CI: 1.01; 1.08). Conclusions - Occupational exposure to extreme temperatures is a critical issue considering climate change especially among sectors engaged in outdoor and labour-intensive activities such as the agricultural sector. These results can help promote specific prevention actions for workers. Keywords - Work-related injuries; heat waves; agricultural sector.

Association between temperature and natural mortality in Belgium: Effect modification by individual characteristics and residential environment

BackgroundThere is strong evidence of mortality being associated to extreme temperatures but the extent to which individual or residential factors modulate this temperature vulnerability is less clear. MethodsWe conducted a multi-city study with a time-stratified case-crossover design and used conditional logistic regression to examine the association between extreme temperatures and overall natural and cause-specific mortality. City-specific estimates were pooled using a random-effect meta-analysis to describe the global association. Cold and heat effects were assessed by comparing the mortality risks corresponding to the 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles of the daily temperature, respectively, with the minimum mortality temperature. For cold, we cumulated the risk over lags of 0 to 28 days before death and 0 to 7 days for heat. We carried out stratified analyses and assessed effect modification by individual characteristics, preexisting chronic health conditions and residential environment (population density, built-up area and air pollutants: PM2.5, NO2, O3 and black carbon) to identify more vulnerable population subgroups. ResultsBased on 307,859 deaths from natural causes, we found significant cold effect (OR = 1.42, 95%CI: 1.30–1.57) and heat effect (OR = 1.17, 95%CI: 1.12–1.21) for overall natural mortality and for respiratory causes in particular. There were significant effects modifications for some health conditions: people with asthma were at higher risk for cold, and people with psychoses for heat. In addition, people with long or frequent hospital admissions in the year preceding death were at lower risk. Despite large uncertainties, there was suggestion of effect modification by air pollutants: the effect of heat was higher on more polluted days of O3 and black carbon, and a higher cold effect was observed on more polluted days of PM2.5 and NO2 while for O3, the effect was lower. ConclusionsThese findings allow for targeted planning of public-health measures aiming to prevent the effects of extreme temperatures.

Effects of extreme temperatures on childhood allergic respiratory diseases with and without sensitization to house dust mites in Shanghai, China

BackgroundThe negative impacts of environmental factors on allergic respiratory diseases (ARD) in children have gotten a lot of attention recently. However, the influence of climatic conditions, especially extreme temperatures, on childhood ARD induced by house dust mites (HDM-ARD) is uncertain. ObjectiveWe aimed to quantify the associations between outpatient visits for HDM-ARD and extreme temperatures in Shanghai, China. MethodsA distributed lag nonlinear model combined with Quasi-Poisson generalized linear model was used to analyze data. ResultsDaily mean temperature was significantly associated with outpatient visits for childhood ARD and HDM-ARD. Exposure to extreme temperatures increased the cumulative relative risks of outpatient visits for ARD and HDM-ARD in children (RRlag0–28 for the 5th percentile of Tmean: 2.97, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.25, 7.06; RRlag0–28 for the 95th percentile of Tmean: 2.85, 95% CI: 1.03, 7.86). Boys were vulnerable to extreme lower temperature, while girls were more sensitive to extreme higher temperature in both ARD and HDM-ARD. The effect seemed to be most pronounced among 6–11 years of age school children. ConclusionOur study presents quantitative evidence that extreme temperatures prompted outpatient visits for children with ARD, especially HDM-ARD, in Shanghai, China. These findings might have significant consequences for developing appropriate preventive measures for vulnerable populations.

Extreme local temperatures lower expressed sentiment about U.S. economic conditions with implications for the stock returns of local firms

We draw from research that finds local weather conditions affect individuals’ belief-formation process and asset prices to investigate whether “extreme” local temperatures impact individuals’ beliefs about U.S. economic conditions (i.e., economic sentiment) and the stock returns of local firms. We combine Gallup’s U.S. Daily Poll, which provides the daily-level economic sentiment of a population-representative random sample of 1.5 million individuals, with daily weather conditions based on survey respondent location. We document that extreme local temperatures decrease individuals’ sentiment about the U.S. economy and that this decrease relates to declines in the stock returns of local firms. Further tests distinguish this extreme local temperature–sentiment effect from the effect of perceived life satisfaction on individuals’ economic sentiment, suggesting that the potential effect of extreme temperatures on individuals’ moods is not driving our results. We conclude that extreme local temperatures affect individuals’ sentiment about economic activity beyond the potential effect of temperature on firm- or local-level economic variables, with implications for stock returns.

Microbial Genes of Agricultural Importance in Maize Rhizosphere Unveiled Through Shotgun Metagenomics

Genes possessed by microbes in the rhizosphere influence the metabolic activities that occur in this zone. Although the maize rhizosphere has been reported to be a hotspot of genes, these genes remain under-investigated. Hence, this study aimed at identifying putative microbial genes with plant beneficial functions in the underexplored maize rhizosphere microbiome using a shotgun metagenomics approach. Sampling was done at the flowering stage of the maize plants and both the rhizosphere and bulk soils were collected in triplicates. The metagenomes of the examined rhizosphere and bulk soils revealed genes involved in carbon fixation, nitrogen fixation, iron acquisition, heat and cold shock, phosphorus solubilization and utilization, sulfur cycling, and siderophore production. The beta diversity analysis showed significant variations (p <0.05) in these genes across the examined rhizosphere and bulk soils which was further confirmed by the distinct separations between the samples as seen on the principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) plot. Contrarily, no significant difference was observed in diversity within the habitats (p= 0.99). The predominance of significant genes of agricultural importance such as thenifH,nifA, groES,andcspAin the rhizosphere metagenomes signifies that this region is endowed with beneficial organisms with potential for improving plant growth, mitigating stress, and reducing the effect of extreme temperatures, which can be optimized in developing biofertilizers. Therefore, the development of strategies that will help in cultivating these organisms, which are mostly unculturable, is encouraged. This would make them readily available for use as bio-inoculants and in other biotechnological applications.

Manure amendment can reduce rice yield loss under extreme temperatures

Extreme temperatures are predicted to become increasingly common due to climate change, threatening the sustainability and profitability of global rice production. Manure amendment is a common agricultural practice to improve soil fertility and increase crop yields, but whether this practice modulates the effect of extreme temperatures on crop yield is unclear. Here we show through a series of experiments and meta-analysis that long-term manure amendment reduces losses of rice yield due to extreme temperatures. We propose that by increasing soil fertility, manure amendment increased net photosynthetic rate and plant physiological resistance to extreme temperatures. Without considering the impact of other global change factors, we estimate that manure amendment could potentially reduce global losses of rice yield due to extreme temperatures from 33.6 to 25.1%. Thus, our findings indicate that manure amendment may play a key role in improving food security in a changing climate.

Impact of ambient temperature on hospital admissions for respiratory diseases in suburban rural villages in northwest China.

Extreme temperature is strongly associated with human health, but few studies are available for the effects of extreme temperatures on respiratory disease (RD) in rural villages in Jiuquan, China over 2018-2019. In this study, we evaluate the effect of daily mean temperature on RD hospitalizations in suburban rural villages. A distribution lag non-linear model was constructed to analyze the relationship between the temperature and the daily risk of RD hospitalizations; and stratified analysis by sex and age group was performed. The effect of daily mean temperature on RD hospitalizations was non-linear and lagging. With a reference 25th percentile of temperature (-1.8 °C), exposure to extremely low temperature (-15.8 °C, 1st percentile), or moderate low temperature (-8.3 °C, 10th percentile) were associated with 1.396 (95% CI: 1.251, 1.558) and 1.216 (95% CI: 1.180, 1.253) increased risks of RD hospitalizations over lag 0-21 days. For RD morbidity, the effects of moderate high temperature (90th percentile of temperature, 22.5 °C) appeared at on the exposed day (lag 0), with the largest hot effect (RR 1.008, 95% CI 1.001, 1.020), while the effects of extremely high temperature (99th percentile of temperature, 27.0 °C) were insignificant. The effect of ambient temperature varied with gender and age. Both cold and high temperatures have more serious influence on males than females. In contrast, the elderly (age ≥ 65) seemed to be more sensitive in extremely low temperature (RR = 3.471; 95% CI, 2.183, 5.518; lag 0-21). The effect of moderate high temperature on the < 65 years group appeared for the first time at lag 0 (RR = 1.012; 95% CI, 1.001, 1.029). Both high temperature and low temperature increased the RD hospitalization risk; the harmful effect and duration of low temperature were greater than that of high temperature; the ≥ 65-year group and male were more sensitive to low temperature.

Identification of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins and Regions in a Non-Model Insect Species Ostrinia nubilalis (Hbn.).

Research in previous decades has shown that intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) and regions in proteins (IDRs) are as ubiquitous as highly ordered proteins. Despite this, research on IDPs and IDRs still has many gaps left to fill. Here, we present an approach that combines wet lab methods with bioinformatics tools to identify and analyze intrinsically disordered proteins in a non-model insect species that is cold-hardy. Due to their known resilience to the effects of extreme temperatures, these proteins likely play important roles in this insect’s adaptive mechanisms to sub-zero temperatures. The approach involves IDP enrichment by sample heating and double-digestion of proteins, followed by peptide and protein identification. Next, proteins are bioinformatically analyzed for disorder content, presence of long disordered regions, amino acid composition, and processes they are involved in. Finally, IDP detection is validated with an in-house 2D PAGE. In total, 608 unique proteins were identified, with 39 being mostly disordered, 100 partially disordered, 95 nearly ordered, and 374 ordered. One-third contain at least one long disordered segment. Functional information was available for only 90 proteins with intrinsic disorders out of 312 characterized proteins. Around half of the 90 proteins are cytoskeletal elements or involved in translational processes.

The effect of absolute versus relative temperature on health and the role of social care.

We investigate the effect of extreme temperatures on mortality and emergency hospital admissions, and whether local social care allows to mitigate their adverse effects. We merge monthly administrative data on mortality and hospital discharge from Italian municipalities for the period 2001–2015 with daily data on local weather conditions, and yearly data on disaggregated municipal expenditure. We compare two different measures of temperature shocks, one using the conventional approach based on absolute levels (without accounting for regional heterogeneity) and the other based on deviations from local mean temperatures. The former approach shows noisy evidence of an increase in mortality due to extremely hot days while the latter approach shows a large increase in mortality and hospital admissions for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases due to both cold and hot days. These effects are mostly driven by the oldest age group and partially by young children. Then, we report evidence of a mitigating effect of social expenditure on the impact of extremely hot and cold days on both emergency hospital admission and mortality rates. A back of the envelope calculation suggests that the additional social care expenditure is fully compensated by the benefits arising from the lower impact of temperature shocks.

Excess out-of-hospital cardiac arrests due to ambient temperatures in South Korea from 2008 to 2018

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a notable public health issue with negative outcomes, such as high mortality and aftereffects. Additionally, the adverse effects of extreme temperatures on health have become more important under climate change; however, few studies have investigated the relationship between temperature and OHCA. In this study, we examined the association between temperature and OHCA and its underlying risk factors. We conducted a two-stage time-series analysis using a Poisson regression model with a distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) and meta-analysis, based on a nationwide dataset from South Korea (2008–2018). We found that 17.4% of excess OHCA was attributed to cold, while 0.9% was attributed to heat. Based on central estimates, excess OHCA attributed to cold were more prominent in the population with hypertension comorbidity (31.0%) than the populations with diabetes (24.3%) and heart disease (17.4%). Excess OHCA attributed to heat were larger in the populations with diabetes (2.7%) and heart disease comorbidity (2.7%) than the population with hypertension (1.2%) based on central estimates. Furthermore, the time-varying excess OHCA attributed to cold have decreased over time, and although those of heat did not show a certain pattern during the study period, there was a weak increasing tendency since 2011. In conclusion, we found that OHCAs were associated with temperature, and cold temperatures showed a greater impact than that of hot temperatures. The effects of cold and hot temperatures on OHCA were more evident in the populations with hypertension, diabetes, and heart diseases, compared to the general population. In addition, the impacts of heat on OHCA increased in recent years, while those of cold temperatures decreased. Our results provide scientific evidence for policymakers to mitigate the OHCA burden attributed to temperature.

Climate change and productivity of northeastern dairy farms

AbstractThis article examines the impact of extreme weather on dairy farm productivity in the northeastern U.S., accounting for the effects of extreme temperatures on dairy cow productivity and on feed production—the predominant feeding system in the region. Using a stochastic frontier production model and 2010–20 dairy farm-level data, we find that although heat stress impacts cow productivity negatively, it increases feed production. No discernable impacts of extreme cold temperatures were found. Additional results indicate the presence of significant labor-augmenting productivity and that larger farms experience larger productivity growth thanks to increasing returns to scale and allocative efficiency.

Relevance of Earth-Bound Extremophiles in the Search for Extraterrestrial Life.

The recent discovery of extrasolar Earth-like planets that orbit in their habitable zone of their system, and the latest clues of the presence of liquid water in the subsurface of Mars and in the subglacial ocean of Jupiter's and Saturn's moons, has reopened debates about habitability and limits of life. Although liquid water, widely accepted as an absolute requirement for terrestrial life, may be present in other bodies of the solar system or elsewhere, physical and chemical conditions, such as temperature, pressure, and salinity, may limit this habitability. However, extremophilic microorganisms found in various extreme terrestrial environments are adapted to thrive in permanently extreme ranges of physicochemical conditions. This review first describes promising environments for life in the Solar System and the microorganisms that inhabit similar environments on the Earth. The effects of extreme temperatures, salt, and hydrostatic pressure conditions on biomolecules will be explained in some detail, and recent advances in understanding biophysical and structural adaptation strategies allowing microorganisms to cope with extreme physicochemical conditions are reviewed to discuss promising environments for life in the Solar System in terms of habitability.

Extreme temperatures and residential electricity consumption: Evidence from Chinese households

We estimate the causal effect of extreme temperatures on household electricity consumption using the China Residential Energy Consumption Survey (CRECS), which contains validated data on electricity consumption from respondents' electricity bills. We find that for each additional day in which the mean temperature exceeds 32 °C, relative to a day in which temperature is in the range 10 °C–16 °C, there is an 8.9% increase in annual electricity consumption. Exploiting rich information on the use of major home appliances which is available in CRECS, we demonstrate that this large effect is due to households using air conditioners more, at both the extensive and intensive margins, to cope with heat stress. Combining our baseline estimates with daily temperature projections from eight recent climate models, we simulate changes in future electricity consumption due to global warming. We find that residential electricity consumption would increase by 9.59–30.09% in the medium term and by 9.77–47.70% in the long term, depending on whether measures are taken to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

Effects of Extreme Temperatures on the Risk of Preterm Birth in China: A Population-Based Multi-Center Cohort Study

Effects of Extreme Temperatures on the Risk of Preterm Birth in China: A Population-Based Multi-Center Cohort Study

Differential physiological response to heat and cold stress of tomato plants and its implication on fruit quality

The upcoming climate change presents a great challenge for plant growth and development being extremes temperatures among the major environmental limitations to crop productivity. Understanding the repercussions of these extreme temperatures is of high importance to elaborate future strategies to confront crop damages. Tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum L.) are one of the most cultivated crops and their fruits are consumed worldwide standing out for their organoleptic characteristics and nutritional value. Tomato plants are sensitive to temperatures below 12 °C and above 32 °C. In this study, Micro-Tom cultivar was used to evaluate the effects of extreme temperatures on the plant of tomato and the fruit productivity and quality from the stressed plants, either exposed to cold (4 °C for three nights per week) or heat (32 °C during the day, seven days per week) treatments. Total productivity and the percentage of ripe fruits per plant were evaluated together with foliar stress markers and the contents of photosynthetic pigments and tocochromanols. Fruit quality was also assessed determining lycopene contents, total soluble solids, total acidity and ascorbate contents. High temperatures altered multiple physiological parameters indicating a moderate stress, particularly decreasing fruit yield. As a response to this stress, plants enhanced their antioxidant contents both at leaf and fruit level. Low temperatures did not negatively affect the physiology of plants with similar yields as compared to controls, suggesting chilling acclimation. Both high and low temperatures, but most particularly the former, increased total soluble solids contents indicating that temperature control may be used as a strategy to modulate fruit quality.

The effect of extreme temperatures on soil organic matter decomposition from Atlantic oak forest ecosystems

SummaryThis work designs a heatwave with a calorimeter to analyze the response of soils from oak forest ecosystems to increasing temperature from 20°C to 60°C and to cooling from 60°C to 20°C. Calorimetry measures the heat rate of the soil organic matter decomposition and the response to increasing and decreasing temperatures directly. It was applied to soil samples representing different soil horizons with organic matter at different degree of decomposition given by their heat of combustion, calculated by differential scanning calorimetry. Results showed temperature-dependent decomposition rates from 20°C to 40°C or 50°C typical for enzymatic activity. From 40°C to 60°C, changes in the rates are less predictable. Data analysis during cooling showed that all samples suffered losses of their enzymatic capacity and that only those with the heat of combustion values close to that of carbohydrates resisted the heat wave.

Impact of Temperature on Physical and Mental Health: Evidence from China

AbstractClimate may significantly affect human society. Few studies have focused on the temperature impact on residents’ health, especially mental health status. This paper uses 98 423 observations in China to study the relationship between temperature and health, based on the China Family Panel Studies survey during 2010–16. We analyze the health effects of extreme hot and cold weather and compare the effects under different social demographic factors including gender, age, and income. We find that temperature and health status exhibit a nonlinear relationship. Women and low-income households are more likely to be impacted by extreme cold, whereas men, the elderly, and high-income households are more sensitive to extreme heat. Our results highlight the potential effects of extreme temperatures on physical and mental health and provide implications for future policy decisions to protect human health under a changing climate.

Extreme temperature, health, and disability: A comparison of health effects between people with and without disabilities

BACKGROUND AND AIM: People with disabilities are at greater risk of being socially and materially deprived, engaging in health-risk behaviors, and having comorbidities than the non-disabled population, which may impose an additional disease burden from extreme temperatures. However, no studies have compared the effects of extreme temperatures in people with and without disabilities. This study aimed to investigate the association of heat waves and cold spells with emergency hospital admissions by the existence of disability and disability types. METHODS: The study subjects are from the Korean National Health Insurance Services –National Sample Cohort. We identified emergency admissions for non-external causes(NEC), cardiovascular(CVD), and respiratory(RES) diseases from people who resided in seven metropolitan cities in 2006-2013. A time-stratified case-crossover analysis using conditional logistic regression was used to investigate the association of heat wave and cold spell with emergency admissions. Heat wave and Cold spell were defined based on the intensity of temperature and duration of the day. The models were adjusted for daily PM10 concentration, relative humidity, and national holidays. We further explored effect modifications by the existence of a disability and disability types (physical, visual, hearing, intellectual disability/disability of brain lesion/mental disorder/kidney dysfunction). RESULTS:The association between heat wave and emergency admissions for NEC was higher in people with disabilities (Odds ratio: 1.37, 95% Confidence Interval: 0.92, 2.04) than people without disabilities (OR: 0.92, 95% CI: 0.76, 1.12), which was consistent when using different heat wave definitions. A similar pattern was observed with respiratory admissions. However, the associations between cold spell and emergency admissions were similar or somewhat lower in people with disabilities than those without disabilities. We also found heterogeneity in the health effects of extreme temperatures among people with disabilities by their disability types. CONCLUSIONS:To promote environmental health equity in an era of climate change, more attention to this unrecognized susceptible population is needed. KEYWORDS: Environmental disparities, Environmental justice, Temperature extremes

Effect of Extreme Temperatures and Driving Conditions on Gaseous Pollutants of a Euro 6d-Temp Gasoline Vehicle

Gaseous emissions of modern Euro 6d vehicles, when tested within real driving emissions (RDE) boundaries, are, in most cases, at low levels. There are concerns, though, about their emission performance when tested at or above the boundaries of ambient and driving conditions requirements of RDE regulations. In this study, a Euro 6d-Temp gasoline direct injection (GDI) vehicle with three-way catalyst and gasoline particulate filter was tested on the road and in a laboratory at temperatures ranging between −30 °C and 50 °C, with cycles simulating urban congested traffic, uphill driving while towing a trailer at 85% of the vehicle’s maximum payload, and dynamic driving. The vehicle respected the Euro 6 emission limits, even though they were not applicable to the specific cycles, which were outside of the RDE environmental and trip boundary conditions. Most of the emissions were produced during cold starts and at low ambient temperatures. Heavy traffic, dynamic driving, and high payload were found to increase emissions depending on the pollutant. Even though this car was one of the lowest emitting cars found in the literature, the proposed future Euro 7 limits will require a further decrease in cold start emissions in order to ensure low emission levels under most ambient and driving conditions, particularly in urban environments. Nevertheless, motorway emissions will also have to be controlled well.